Centennial Bank dedicates its old building to City of Plainview

Centennial Bank gifts its old location to the City of Plainview during a dedication/key passing ceremony Thursday afternoon.

Centennial Bank gifts its old location to the City of Plainview during a dedication/key passing ceremony Thursday afternoon.

Photo: Ellysa Harris/Plainview Herald

Photo: Ellysa Harris/Plainview Herald

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Centennial Bank gifts its old location to the City of Plainview during a dedication/key passing ceremony Thursday afternoon.

Centennial Bank gifts its old location to the City of Plainview during a dedication/key passing ceremony Thursday afternoon.

Photo: Ellysa Harris/Plainview Herald

Centennial Bank dedicates its old building to City of Plainview

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The City of Plainview and Centennial Bank exchanged keys on Thursday.

Centennial Bank leaders officially (symbolically) handed over the key to what is now their old building and Mayor Wendell Dunlap and the City Council (all of whom were in attendance) presented the bank with a key to the city.

It was a special and historic occasion, according to city and bank leaders – including Dunlap – who took turns sharing the podium.

The city didn't purchase the building. It was donated.

"This really is something that we've been needing for a long time," said Dunlap after the dedication ceremony.

City officials have outgrown the space at the current City Hall, which is located at 901 Broadway – and will remain so for at least another year, he said. Offices of city officials are spread out around town.

The building at 201 W. Sixth St. has enough room for city offices currently housed in three different buildings – the Finance/Utility building at 121 W. Seventh St., the Health Department at 111 E. 10th St. and City Hall, said City Manager Jeffrey Snyder. The space will also allow room for growth.

Combining the office space is expected to save the city some money and be more efficient for citizens, he said.

"It's going to allow City Hall to be a true hub for our community," Snyder said.

The visibility also makes the building on Sixth St. a more desirable location, according to Dunlap.

Talks about the city taking over the location began about seven years ago, said Brian Pohlmeier, vice chairman of Centennial Bank, which has 14 locations around Texas, including eight across the panhandle.

They began when a merger between Hale County State Bank and Citizens Bank resulted in Centennial Bank in mid-2012, he said.

Bank officials questioned how best to utilize the 44,000-square foot building with about 14-15 employees, Pohlmeier said.

After a chat with then-City Manager Greg Ingham, bank officials began developing an idea.

"It became very apparent that the City of Plainview would be the absolute best usage of this building if that was something the city wanted to do," Pohlmeier said. Those discussions were carried on with Snyder after Ingham retired.

So bank officials scouted out a new location as city officials began working out the logistics of what renovations needed to be done and how much it would cost to make them happen.

Centennial Bank finished construction on its new location at 3201 Olton Road and moved in less than one month ago, said David Williams, chairman of Centennial Bank.

The new location is smaller with just less than 8,000 square feet making it more efficient. There's also a drive-thru. Employees can "serve customers better and faster," he added.

Centennial Bank is already operating out of its new location and has completely vacated downtown Plainview, though it still maintains a presence there in the form of an ATM, Williams said.

But Dunlap said it'll be at least another year before the city offices move. The city saved money by not having to purchase the building but it'll need renovations before anyone moves in.

That funding is coming out a 2017 bond package approved by Plainview voters in November 2017. The bond package included $6 million for the "acquisition, construction, renovation, improvement, relocation and equipment of municipal buildings," according to the City of Plainview website.

Snyder said renovations to the new building are still in the design phase.

"The building is in great shape," Snyder said. He didn't provide details but added that city officials hope to make the space more efficient.

Dunlap said once the city moves out of its Broadway headquarters, the Plainview Police Department will move in to that space. The current police station, at 108 W. Ninth St., will then become a storage facility. But that won't happen for at least two years.

"This is something that is going to give Plainview not only a first class, but a first class-plus city hall," Dunlap said.